Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-02-09
THE CALICO FROCK.

1t wasn't hot day, nor cold day
nor damp day, but it was an afro
cious day, aclammy day, an unbeara
BILE day, g. day that madeyour clothes
stick to you like poor relations, that
brought out cold sweats on pitchers
and goblets, that made your back 6
racecourse for contemplate little
chills, and the rest Of your body 8
target for thousand invisible pins
and needles, that made the grasshop
per burden and the dusty, begrimed
city q pandemonium, that made
Solomon Griggs, bachelor, of the firm
Of Griggs, Makem & Co., the great
clothing merchants, shut up his ledger
with q bang and start for the country
by the next train, remarking to old
Grlmsby, the head clerk, that "the
city was sitting" To which that
worthy replied: $50 it is, but how
about the fellers that can't get out oil
it and must stay to be choked ?" A
problem which / suspect our friend oil
the firm of Griggs, Makem & Co.
troubled his head very little about,
being just then busy in looking into
the dusty recesses of that picture
gallery which memory furnishes and
arranges for us all, at a single land
scape hanging there. A low house
with messy, overhanging caves, stand
ing on the slope of a green hill, shaded
by branching elms, with level fields
stretching off in the foreground toward
the sparkling water on one side and
dusky woods on the other; and there,
dusty, sweating and tired, Solomon
found himself just about sunset. Out
came g. ruddy, checked, smiling old
lady, in a cap and apron that had at
tanned state of snowy perfection un-
known to city laundresses.
why, bless me, if it isn't little Sol;
why, who'd thought of seeing you ?"
and she folded the stalwart, bearded
man in as warm an embrace as though
he were in reality still the little Sol of
former days.
''And how do you do, Sol? Come
in, come in, don't stand out there.
You know the little path and tire way
TO the pantry yet. I dare say Come
IN; you needn't start back, it's only
Rachel"
but l didn't know you had any
yonne ladies with you, Aunt Hester. I"
Its only Rachel, tell you; Rachel
Hart, the seamstress. Are there no
women In your city that you are
afraid to face little county girl ?"
Little, indeed" thought Solomon,
as he acknowledged his aunt's some
what peculiar introduction, and not
pretty, eli her, with large eyes of that
uncertain gray that sometimes beam
darkly blue and then deepen into
brown; with q smooth, low forehead
and light brown hair, drawn tightly
acl oss each ear, just revealing it's
CRIMSON tip; a face irregularly featured,
and rendered still more striking by
the singular contrast between it's ex-
treme pallor and the intensely scarlet
lips, the reorganization of neatness,
tue embodiment of reserve.
IAN odd little person." thought
Solomon, "but it's none of my bust
ness!" and dismissing her from his
mind, he proceeded to the much more
important business of making himself
presentable at Aunt Hester's tea
table.
Solomon did ample Justice to the
snowy bread, golden butter and lus-
cious Strawberries, and later, as that
worthy was INDUCING in stroll
across the fields, he lifted up his eyes,
and Dehel0 the little saamstress
whose existence he had quite forgot.
ten, under q venerable cherry tree,
making desperate efforts to seize g
tempting branch on its lowest boughs,
and looking almoss pretty with her
flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes.
Now Sol was a gallant man, decided.
~ the preux chevalier of the firm OF
Grjggs, Makem & Co., so that when.
ever, as had once or twice happened,
a woman veptured into the mouldy
shades of that establishment, Sol was
the man whom destiny and the other
partners selected to parley with the
enemy.
Advancing, therefore, with happy
mixture of confidence and condescen
sion, Sol plucked the cherries and was
abou6 to present them, when indie
peDdence, In a calico frock, stepped
bacd with cool:
keep them yourself, sir, I don't
care for them"
Il Thought you wanted them
stammered Sol.
so did, because they were difficult
to obtain. Had they been on your
aunt's table, Iwould not have touched
them. 1t is the glow of triumph that
gives pleasure to it's zest. Eat the
cherries yourself, and good. evening
SIR"
'sStop a moment !" aid Sol, not q
little Gstonished; "that is, ] mean
permit me to accompany you"
mo. you would expect me to enter
tain you. and that would be too much
trouble"
"But if, instead, l should entertain
your"
"You cannot"
"Why?"